Alternating-electric-current rectifier.



.F. w. REEVES. ALTERNATENG ELECTRIC CURRENT RECTIFIER. APPLICATION 511:0 APR- 30, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I INVENTOR Patented Oct. 31,1916.

' F W. REEVES. ALTERNATING ELECTRIC CURRENT RECTIFIER.

' APPLICATION FILED APR.30. 1914.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES 2 is a side elevation of the same.

liLTERNATlNG-ELEGTBIC-CURRENT RECTIFIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oer. 31,1916.

Application filed A ril 30, 1914. Serial No. $35,363.

To all er /lam it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. Rnnvns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of {illegheny and State of'Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Alternating Electric-(lurrent Rectifiers, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object, to provide a simple and practical current rectifier, to be rotatively driven in step or synchronism with and for changing alternate electric currents into a direct current for the opera tion of arc lamps, direct current motors, etc, the device being so constructed and arranged as to prevent short circuiting in the alternate current circuit should the same vary in speed at any time and tend to get out of step with the current alternations.

With the above object in view, the invention consists in certain features of construction and arrangement, and in certain parts and combination of parts, as will be here'- inafter more specifically described and set forth in this specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Broadly, the invention comprises a recti fier formed of plural of unitary contacts, connected in circuit with and adapted to be rotated to cause the contacts thereof to be in step with the current alternations, and means also connected in said circuit for engaging the contacts of said sets. I

In describing the invention in detail, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, wherein one example, of a convenient and compact form, of my invention is shown, inwhich drawings like detail parts thereof are indicated by like numerals and referred to by such in the description following later, said drawings representing the following views:

Figure 1 is an end. elevation of the current rectifying device, as applied in practice to means for operating the same. Fig. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the same in practice. Fig. 4 is an enlarged end elevation of the rectifier proper. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same, in section on the line V-V of Fig. i. Fig. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 4, with one head removed. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view through the contact portions of the rectifier, on the line VI-VI of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is. a diagram similar to that of-Fig. 3, but with reversed portions of the rectifier are disposed about,

but not touching, the sleeve between the heads thereof, said contacts being, in this instance, disposed about the holder in three sections, there being insulation, as shown, between each section and between the outer sections and heads of the holder. One section of the contacts is divided into a plurality of contacts or segmental parts, comprising the live segments 3, 3 3 and. 3, between which are alternately disposed the shorter dead, segments l, all of which segments are insulated from one another, as shown. The other sections of the. rectifier are, in this instance, i the form of two rings 5 and 6, respectiv ly, both disposedat one side of the segmental contact section, and, as before stated, insulated from one another, as shown, the ring section 5 being connected to the two opposite commutator reruns ornrcn.

segments, 3 and 3, by bars 7 and the ring are disposed bolts 9 to which are fitted nuts 10 securing said sections to the holder, said bolts and nuts being insulated from the parts through which they pass, and from the heads, as shown. The rectifier is suit--' ably secured to the drive shaft 1i extending through a bearing 12 on the standard 13 of suitable driving means to drive the same in synchronism with the current alternations, as for instance, a synchronous motor.

The brush holder for the rectifier, com.- prises a four armed spider 14, each arm thereof being disposed at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to one another, secured in adjusted position upon an extension of binding post 20. The brush holders-16 and 17, which. are of equal length, are those intended forv the brushes which operate on the segmental section of the rectifier, which in this particular instance must be so disposed that when the brushes are fitted thereto that said brushes will be disposed at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to one another. The

I brush holder 18 is of greater length and is intended for the brush operating on the section 5 of the rectifier, and the brush holder 19, which isof still greater length, is intended for the brush operating on the sec tion 6 ofthe rectifier, but, owing to the sections 5 and 6 being in this instance of ring form, the brushes and holders therefor may be disposed at any point other than shown.

The brushes 21, 22, 23 and 24, fitted in the openings at the end of the respective holders, are .each preferably formed of two carbon' plates, disposed one along side of the other, there being springs 25 fixed to the holders to engage the brushes and keep the same in contact with the rectifier engaged thereby.

In the diagram shown in Fig. 3, the

- brushes 21 and 22 are shown as connected in circuit with an alternating current genorator 26, by circuit wires 27 and 28, and the brushes 23 and 24- as connected to an arc lamp 29, by circuit wires 30 and 31, as one -illustration of the rectifier in practice In the diagram shown in Fig. 8, the alternating current generator 26 is connected to the circuit wires 30 and 31 and the arc lamp 29 connected to the circuit wires 27 and 28, as another illustration of the rectifier in practice.

In both of the above diagrams, the generator 26 is shown as an example of alternating current supply, and the arc lamp 29 as an example of one of the many uses for the current when rectified into a direct current, "such examples serving in this instance to describe the operation of the rectifier.

In practice, each of the live segments 3, 3*,

neoaaee 3 and 3 of the rectifier, represent in tions, then if the rectifier be rotated, say in the direction or the large arrow, so that each live segment be 111 step with the current alternations the following would be an example of operation:

Referring to Fig. 3, if it be assumed that the rectifier is in a position with the brush 22 on the live segment 3 and'the brush 21 on th live"segment 3, the current alternation coming from the generator 26, aslong as the lrrushes are on said segments, will pass from the generator, in the direction indicated by the small. full lined arrows, by way of the wire 27, brush 22, segment 3, connection. 8, ring 5, brush 23, wire 31, to and through the lamp 29, through wire 30, brush 24., ring 6, connector 7, segment 3, brush 2]., and wire 28 back to the generator, and as the said rectifier advances beneath. the.

brushes to cause the segments 3 and 3 to pass from beneath the brushes at the end of the current alternation, the said brushes will then each be on one of the dead segments lduring the zero period between currentalternations. As the rectifier further advances to bring the brushes 21 and 22 into engagement with the segments 3 and 3 in synchronism with the next alternation of current, the current will then pass from the generator 26 along-the wire 28, as shown by dotted arrow, through brush 21 and segment 3, then, as shown by the full lined arrows, along connector 8 and through ring 5, brush 23, wire 31, through lamp 29, wire 30, brush 24 and ring 6, then, as shown by the small dotted arrow, through the connector 7 throiwh se ment 3 and brush 22, and, as shown by dotted arrow, through wire 27 to the generator.

In the above described operation, representing two complete alternations in reverse direction from the source of supply, or one cycle ofcurrent, it will be observed that, while the current passes from the generator in alternate directions, the rectifier converts the same into a direct current to supply the lamp, andwill continue to do so as each live segment of the rectifier contacts with the brushes, as will be apparent.

In the diagram shown in Fig. 8, the connections of the generator and lamp are reinstance the current would flow from the generator at one alternation, when the brushes 21 and 22 are on the segments 3 and 3, as indicated by the small arrows in full lines, that is to say, from the generator to the lamp, by way of the wire 80, brush 24, ring 6, connector 7, seg n'lent 3*, brush 21 and wire 28 to the lamp 29, and from the lamp by way of the wire 27 and brush 22, through 120 versed from that shown in Fig. 3, in which segment 3, connector 8 and ring 5 to brush 23 and wire 31 to the generator. When the brushes 2-1 and 22 are on the segments 3 and 3", the next alternation of current passes from the generator along the wire 31 to the segment 3, as shown by dotted arrows, by way of the brush 23, ring 5 and connector 8, and from said segment 3 to the brush 21 and along wire 28, shown by full lined arrow, to the lamp, then from said lamp, by way of the wire 2? and brush 22 to the segment 3 to the ring 6, by way of the connector 7, as shown by dotted arrow, then from said ring back to the generator, by way of the brush and wire 30, as indicated by the dot ted arrow.

From the two examples of operation given, it will be readily apparent that it makes no difference as to which set of brushes the generator or the lamp be connected, the result of current rectifying being the same, 7

The dead plates 4: in the rectifier, are really nothing more than inactive or insulated spaces between the active segments, but, like that of the active segments, are made of metal so as to give a uniform wearing surface about the rectifier, said segments 4, or insulated space, being preferably slightly greater in width than that of the brushes so as to prevent short circuiting and arcing should the rectifier get out of ste with the current alternations.

While I have shown and described my invention as of a particular form and application, it is to be understood that the said form and application are intended only to serve as an example, and that in practice the arrangement, modification and details of same may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention herein claimed.

naoaace What I claimas my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An alternating electric current rectifier, comprising in combination a rotative sleeve having a flanged head at each end, a pair of contact rings disposed on said sleeve between the heads, each ring being provided with a plurality of spaced live contacts, the contacts of one ring being disposed between and in alternate relation with the contacts of the other ring, dead contacts disposed between said live contacts, means extending through the sleeve heads and each of said live and dead contacts to secure the structure together, and two sets of brushes, one set operating on the rings and the other set on the contacts.

2. An alternating electric current recti fier, comprising in combination a rotative sleeve having a flanged head at each end, one of which is detachable, a pair of contact rings disposed on said sleeve between the heads, a plurality of spaced live contacts also arranged on said sleeve, one half the number of said live contacts being connected to one of said rings and the other half number connected to the other ring, dead contacts disposed between said live contacts, means extending through the sleeve heads and each of said live and dead contacts to secure the structure together, and two sets of brushes, one set operating on said rings and the other set on said contacts.

In testimony whereof, I have hereuntov signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK WV. REEVES. In the presence of R. S. HARRISON, EMMA M. I'IALL. 

